New Beginnings
by Miss DJ Classy B
Summary: This is my version of SPD. Starts off two years before "Beginnings". OC heavy and AU. 2023 is going to be a crazy year. Kat could almost feel it. She stopped working at SPD years ago but all of a sudden, Cruger wants her back. And Jack, Sky, Bridge, Z, and Syd? What are they up to?
1. Kat's Decision

_Okay… So this is a story I posted back in 2011. It was called 2023 to 2024: A New Start. That story has now been deleted. I first posted it when I just turned 13. I'm 16 now. My writing style has changed so much since I first started. I'm not a perfect writer yet but I'm very proud of myself. When I look back at this story, I'm like, "Well, I like it but I write so much better than this now."_

_So, with that being said, I edited basically everything in this story. It still has my crazy AU ideas though. I really hope you enjoy the rewrite (not really, just chap. 1-8) of my first fanfic._

_This chapter is going to confuse your socks off but at least it looks better than before I rewrote it…_

_Disclaimer: a girl can dream, right?_

**May 27, 2023**

_Dear Dr. Katherine Manx,_

_It's me, Anubis Cruger. Boy, it has been a long time since we've last seen each other. Seventeen years! Can you believe it? How have you been? Judging by how your reality show went, things seem to be going very good. Look, it's a long story but I'll try to summarize it for you and the sake of my tired hand._

_As you know, all of the rangers including yourself left SPD back in 2006. The following years have been rough when it came to employment. I didn't get back another ranger team until just last year! They're a pretty good team. They come from all around the world. The red ranger, who's female by the way, is from Spain. She's very young (like Melody Carson) but she's strong. I also got a new secretary. Her name is Annalita. She's a piece of work. All she does is party and drink. Dr. Derek left in 2007 but Dr. Felix is still here. He also got two new assistants in the infirmary…Dr. Eric Smith and his wife, Cody Smith. They have three kids. Very lovely family._

_So employment is getting better but… I still don't have a science officer. I don't know if you're still into the whole "SPD Life" thing anymore but it would be nice if you at least consider rejoining. I really miss you and so does Felix. I know it might not be the same party it was when Brandon Landors and Staci Drew worked here. It's okay though. We can make things work._

_Sincerely,_

_Doggie_

_P.S. there is an assembly for new cadets coming up soon. I couldn't help but notice that two of my new cadets' names are Schuyler Tate and Bridge Carson. Do those names ring a bell?_

Kat felt tears sting her eyes. This couldn't be happening. She just read a letter from the commander at Space Patrol Delta Earth. She hasn't spoken to him in more than a decade. How did he even get her address? She had to be dreaming. Doggie must have been drunk when he wrote this. Her, Dr. Katherine Mary Manx, daughter of Katrina and Dr. Gabriel Manx, work at SPD? Again? No. Something is wrong with that sentence. Kat trembled as she read Doggie's offer over and over again. Her heart ached.

This couldn't be happening.

Kat tucked the letter in her gold purse and began to make her way to the balcony in her room. She stood on her balcony and stared at her property. Was she willing to give it up for the second time? Was she willing to move away from her spotless cars, outdoor pools, and Beverly Hills for the second time? She looked at her fresh manicure along with the rest of her outfit. She wore a white suit with tall heels. What use is she to SPD now? Is Doggie using her for publicity?

"Grandma?"

Kat jumped and turned to see her seventeen years old granddaughter giving her a bright smile. She had a good length of curly black hair and had many tiny freckles covering her cheeks. She also had big, hot pink eyes. Her first granddaughter was definitely a different one. She was a fairy. She got it from her father's mother. People would kill to have a child like her. Fairies, vampires, and anyone supernatural were special on Earth. It wasn't because they were rare, it's because they have powers.

"Oh, Vivianna, it's just you." Kat dried her tears on a small tissue she pulled out of her purse. "Is there something you need?"

"No, I came by to see you." Vivianna replied. She leaned on the door frame. "Are you okay? You seem glum."

"I am." Kat sighed. She should've known better than to cry in her room. Her bedroom was always opened to anyone in the family unless told otherwise. "Look, I…" Kat sighed again. "I'll be okay. Can you do me a favor?"

"Of course, I'll do anything for you grandma."

"Get the family together tonight. I want everyone to meet me in the red family room at eight. I have some very important news to share."

"Yes, ma'am." Vivianna hurried out of her grandmother's room.

Kat walked back into her room and began to search her drawers. Once she found what she wanted, she sat at her makeup vanity. She pushed some of her makeup out of the middle so she could use the spot for the item she found, a photo album. The photo album was titled _SPD Memories 2000-2006_. Kat could feel water running down her cheeks again.

"I'm doing this for you Doggie."

* * *

Later that day, Kat sat on a white lazy boy couch with her legs up, dressed in a silk, red robe. She watched as her family made themselves comfortable in other couches and on the carpet. Her family is huge. She had three daughters with her late husband. Her eldest, Rachel, is married with three kids. The youngest, Jessie, is married with three kids and pregnant with her fourth.

Her middle child, Kianna, was a different story. She has one daughter, Vivianna. She broke up with Vivianna's father after Vivianna turned four months old. Kianna still kept her ex close though for Vivianna's sake. So close they lived in the same house on the Manx's property and he had three more kids with another woman a year after having Vivianna! They had a complicated relationship but Kat allowed it. She really didn't like being involved in her children's relationship problems unless it was serious. Besides, Kianna's ex wasn't harmful. He actually had a big heart.

"Is everyone here?" Kat spoke over the noise coming from her grandchildren. Their ages ranged from three to seventeen years old. Everyone in the family room nodded their heads. After a glance of the room, Kat took a deep breath. "I'm going to make this meeting very quick."

"Take all the time you need grandma." Vivianna gave Kat a small smile and sat in front of her. She doesn't know why she had to call the whole family for a meeting but it seemed important considering she caught her grandmother crying.

"I'm… I'm going back to SPD." Kat stated. She gazed at all of her children and family friends' faces. All of the older one's were shocked. The younger ones didn't know what SPD was but they kept their mouths shut. They didn't want to be chastised by their parents. They also had small toys keeping them occupied anyways.

"Didn't you leave SPD because of… me?" Vivianna played with the rings on her fingers.

"I didn't leave SPD because of you Vivianna." Kat assured her granddaughter. She looked at her three daughters, who were too ashamed to look back. "I left because your mother couldn't handle the consequences of her sudden pregnancy with you. I left because your Aunt Rachel got engaged and never told me. I left because your Aunt Jessie almost didn't graduate high school. That is why I left SPD in 2005. It wasn't official until 2006 when you were born Vivi. At least when I left, I had a beautiful granddaughter to go home to."

Vivianna nodded her head, unsure of how to respond.

"Anymore questions?"

"What's SPD mama?" Kat's youngest grandson asked.

"SPD is a type of police force. Except they are much more advanced and their officers live there." Kat explained in the simplest way she could. She frowned. "I'm going to live there."

"Will you be back?"

"Of course sweetheart, I'll be back before you miss me and I'll bring lots of gifts for you."

"Mom?" Kianna raised her hand slightly. She always had trouble speaking to her mother about SPD. It brought back terrible memories. Getting pregnant when she wasn't ready and forcing her mom out of her job to save her was the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to her.

"Yes Kianna, is it a quick question?"

"I don't know."

Kat gave Kianna a curious look. "Ask anyways."

"Who will make the big decisions here?" Kianna asked. "I mean… you're basically queen bee… or queen kat in this house."

Kat smiled. She understood what her daughter was asking. Apart from the times her father, Gabriel Manx (who still lived on their home planet, Katastrophia) visited, Kat was the eldest in the house. Her daughters weren't even her age yet. They weren't even close to a hundred yet. She was well, "queen kat". Everyone called her mom or something like it. She's in charge of everything. Big decision making going on in the family was run by her. Family meetings, much like this one, were held by her. Whenever someone left the house, they told her. They're a very tight family.

"Kianna, you and your sisters have grown so much. The first time I left your ladies for SPD, Rachel was just twenty-five. That's very young for a kat. You're all more than capable of taking care of yourself without mama's help. Hell, your own daughter can take care of herself without you even realizing it. She's a senior in high school. When was the last time she's asked you to make her breakfast?"

Kianna looked at Vivianna and then back at her mom. "It just doesn't feel right."

"Would you like someone in charge while I'm gone?"

"It would make me feel better…"

"You're in charge."

"What?"

"Everyone in favor of putting Kianna, Rachel, and Jessie in charge of the family while I'm at SPD say I."

"I."

Kianna and her sisters gave each other worried looks before a grin crept on their faces. Their mother trusted them to take care of things while she was gone. Kat noticed their looks and her smiled widened. It wasn't easy news to swallow but she had faith in them.

"Anymore questions?" Kat asked again to make sure. No one spoke up. "Good, now go to bed."

"Aw, can you at least tell us a bedtime story grandma?" Vivianna pouted and opened her eyes bigger. No one could resist the beauty in her eyes. "A Katrina story…please?"

Kat smiled. "Of course."

_Confusing...trust me, it gets better :P Tell me what you think. I'm not the one to manage two or more multi-chapter stories at once (I'm still writing The Samurai Family II: Here We Go Again). But I'll try...the second chapter to this is already complete :)_


	2. Sydney Reveals

**June 9, 2023**

Somewhere, on a starry night, in a suburban neighborhood, there was a party going on in the Drew household. Before getting married to a former pink ranger and having a daughter, Michael Drew swore he would be famous when he grew up. And it happened. When his daughter, Sydney, was just fourteen, he started an art camp, Camp Protégé. At this camp, anyone had the chance to live out their dreams as a singer, dancer, or even just a visual artist by the end of the summer. The camp quickly grew. Now, Michael has his own record company and ten protégés, one of them obviously being his spoilt daughter.

"Time to head back to the camp, Protégés!" Michael Drew proudly announced. He was a tall, blonde man that looked young for his age. He was wearing a navy blue suit with shiny dress shoes that got a little grass on them from being in his backyard, his huge backyard. Michael held a lot of pride in his accomplishments but he was always willing to help those having trouble making it to the top hence, The Protégé Project.

Sydney nodded happily to her father and held up a red plastic cup. Before she could take a sip, a freezing hand touched her shoulder. Sydney felt a shiver slide down her spine. She whipped her head around to see who touched her. She just glared when she saw it was her boyfriend's older sister, Julie. She was very tall, almost six feet, vampire. She also had blonde hair with black highlights and ice cold blue eyes. As usual she was dressed in all black, only this time it was a long sleeveless dress.

"Hey, Syd." Julie grinned, showing off her dangerously long fangs.

"You need to stop scaring me like that!" Sydney glared at her. "You know, for someone that drinks warm blood, you are really cold."

"I have a disorder, human." Julie shrugged, still grinning. She loved messing with Sydney. She was like a little sister to her. "Anyways, what has you in such a bad mood? Have you told Justin…you know…yet?"

"No…ugh, he's going to freak. Not to mention my parents...Julie, I think I'm going to die."

"Can I have all of your shit when you do?"

"No, I told Samantha she could have my shit."

"Shit."

"Yeah." Sydney looked around her backyard. There was teens and parents everywhere because it was a graduation party. Julie and about 5 other protégés had just graduated in the morning. Sydney and her boyfriend, Justin, were just becoming high school seniors. "Where's Justin, anyways?"

"I don't know. I think I saw him hanging out with Bridge and the other boys inside."

"Oh boy, why can't getting him for myself be easy tonight?"

"Well, there was that one time you two…"

Sydney rolled her eyes. "Bye, Julie."

"Good luck." Julie laughed.

Sydney ignored her and tried to make her way inside without being seen. The down side to being the only daughter to a rich and famous man was that everyone knew her and everyone wanted to talk with her and everyone wanted to be her friend. And being in a setting where there was more strangers than her family and school friends, escaping was going to be hard. Luckily, she made it inside without interruptions.

She found her two closest friends sitting on the loveseat in her living room. She was glad no one but them were there. It seemed like they came inside to relax and just chat. Sydney's house was basically their second home. Sydney kicked off her pink heels and sat next to them. Justin could wait.

"Hey girlie!" Both of her friends chorused. One of them was an African American girl with black hair and electric red tips. She was wearing black skinny jeans like Sydney with a crop top. Her name was Samantha. Sydney met her during their first year of camp and they immediately became a team. Then, there was Symone, who was already in her pajamas, ready to sleep. Symone was an alien. She looked like a human but she had light pink skin and very long, baby blue hair. Her hands and feet were also larger than the average human female.

"Already taking over my house, I see." Sydney giggled while leaning her head on Samantha's shoulder.

"You didn't think my grandma was going to drive this late at night, did you?" Samantha chuckled.

Symone nodded. "Yeah, my parents hate driving this late. Once, they almost hit a deer! Why do Earth deer always feel the need just to stand there?"

"Not all planets can have cool-ass animals like yours, chica."

Sydney nodded in agreement. "I would love to visit your planet."

"Yeah, I would love to visit my family soon." Symone's expression darkened. "Too bad my planet has been under attack by the Troobian Empire since the beginning of this year. Every day I pray my family is okay. Last I heard, they destroyed a village near my hometown."

"I'm sure SPD Arlandia is doing all they can to help, Symone."

The three girls looked up to see Sydney's mom, Staci Drew, giving them a reassuring smile. Sydney was the spitting image of her mother. One of their few differences was that Staci had short hair that only reached her shoulders. Staci slowly lowered herself to sit. She developed back problems years ago when she was still a cadet at SPD. Having natural birth with Sydney had also impacted her back.

"They say the war just got deadly…there was fifty casualties last month." Symone told Staci. She loved knowing she could talk to Staci about these things since she used to be a SPD ranger.

"I'm so sorry to hear that, sweetheart." Staci patted Symone's hand. "God, that has to be so hard. SPD Earth couldn't even handle one death back in 2005."

"Yeah…I'm just glad my family is still alive."

"Well, that's good." Staci kissed the top of her head. She looked at Sydney. "How about I change the subject? The party is going to end soon. Sydney, can you get the boys? They're upstairs playing video games."

"Sure, mom." Sydney replied. She got up and made her way up the spiral stairs. She quickly found them because of their joyful shouts. It didn't take her long to convince the boys to leave except Justin and Bridge. Most of the boys were graduates, one of them being Bridge.

Apparently Sydney met Bridge when she was a baby and their moms had just left the SPD Academy. They lost touch though like everyone on her mom's team. But luckily for them, they reunited at the camp and Bridge has been like a brother to Sydney since. He was just leaving like the other boys until Sydney called him back.

"What's up, Syd?" Bridge gave her a cheesy smile. Sydney returned it.

"I'm going to really miss you this summer. Camp Protégé is going to be so different without you."

"I know, I'm going to miss you too." Bridge said, knowing what she was talking about. He was joining the SPD Academy next week. As a new cadet, he wouldn't be able to go out as much to places like the camp. "You'll visit me, right? Just like I'll visit you and the rest of the gang?"

"Of course." Sydney waved to him before grabbing her boyfriend's hand. "See you later."

"Later!" Bridge left.

Justin kissed Sydney's forehead. "We should start to head down too."

"No…look, I have something to tell you." Sydney pointed to an abandoned computer chair. "Julie will kill me if I don't tell you this now."

Justin sat in the chair. His casual expression was killing Sydney on the inside. He looked like his sister except he had a black streak just in a small patch in the front of his hair. He also obsessively wore black. The siblings swore it wasn't a vampire thing but Sydney had second thoughts.

Sydney gave him a tired smile. She was literally tired of smiling. What she was about to tell him wasn't going to be easy. She started to breathe so heavy, Justin heard her. Justin took her hand and dragged her closer to him.

"What is it, darling?" Justin pleaded her to spill the beans.

Sydney swallowed hard. "I'm pregnant."

_Oh snap! Well, there goes the second chapter. Picture the first few chapters as short stories introducing the characters. They're all going to sync together soon._


	3. Missing Sky

**June 10, 2023**

Kimberley Tate watched her son and his friend play basketball from the other side of her glass backdoor. It was the beginning of the weekend and she was starting to count down the days until her only son left her. Since her husband died, it has only been the two of them. She was young when she had Sky so she had occasional boyfriends too but none of them lived up to her expectations. She wondered if her friends found her pathetic for that. Nathan Tate died when she was twenty-five. Forty years old and still haven't remarried?

"_I'm pathetic."_ Kimberley thought. She turned away from the glass door to wipe her eyes. She couldn't make Sky see her crying like this. When she turned, she saw the picture of Nathan she kept above the dinner table staring back at her.

"I tried my best, Nate." Kimberley spoke to the picture. "Our baby boy is all grown. Twenty years old. He spent the last two years working as a cashier and attending a two year college. Don't worry, he graduated. But…he wants to join the academy. You know, the academy you worked at when you died. Yeah…I'm proud. Our son has a lot of guts just like you. His father died a ranger and now he wants to be a ranger. I couldn't talk him out of it. Honestly, why the hell do you Tate's have such thick skulls? I'm sorry, babe. I just can't handle the thought of losing him too."

Kimberley placed her hands in the pockets of her scrubs. She had just gotten back from her job at the hospital. She sucked up her tears and went outside to greet her son and his friend. The boys stopped playing when they heard her step out the door.

"Hey, mom!"

"What's up, Ms. Tate?"

"I'm good." Kimberley replied, relaxing in a lawn chair. "Thanks for asking, Dru."

Sky gave his mom a quick hug. He could see she still had tears in her eyeballs slowly emerging to fall. "Are you sure you're okay? This isn't about me joining SPD again, is it?"

"No…No. I'm fine." Kimberley lied and wiped her eyes again. _Grown woman crying in front of her son and his best friend? Pathetic. _"Speaking of SPD, I heard a certain Protégé is joining according to some magazine."

Dru and Sky exchanged looks. Dru had no idea what Kimberley was talking about but Sky did. He thought about it for a moment. There were two Protégés with SPD parents. Sydney couldn't be who she was talking about. To join SPD, you had to be at least eighteen and have a high school diploma. She wasn't eighteen and didn't have a diploma yet. So it had to be Bridge.

"Bridge?"

"You remember him?" Kimberley always smiled when Sky remembered someone or something from SPD when he was younger. Sky was about seven when Kimberley lost contact with all of her friends at SPD so he had a pretty decent memory about those days. Bridge was five. She wondered if he remembered anything. Even the smallest age gap between kids had different memories.

"Well, now that he's famous." Sky shrugged. "Why is he joining SPD? I mean…there has to be some reason. He sings and he's the lead guitarist in The Protégés. Why is he giving that up?"

Kimberley sighed. "I don't know either, honey. I read it in a magazine. If it's true, isn't that cool though? At least for me. I miss him and his parents, you know. Melody Carson was my best friend in high school. I wonder what she's doing now…"

"She works at a daycare." Dru jumped in the conversation. The two Tate's looked at him puzzled. "You don't read magazines often, huh? Bridge is famous like Sky said. I'm surprised you two haven't done any stalking on social media."

Kimberley and Sky looked at each other with an expression that said, _"We're dumb."_

"Anyways." Kimberley stood up and dusted off her pants. "You boys hungry? We can go bother the neighbors."

"Sorry, I should be heading home now." Dru waved them goodbye and grabbed his car keys. "See you next week."

Sky nodded before him and his mother went to go bother the neighbors. Their neighbor's name was Theresa. She was a little younger than Kimberley but she has lived next to them since Sky was born. She was married and had a daughter and two sons. Her daughter, Jessica, just started high school. Sky called her his little friend since she was born. It was going to be hard leaving her for SPD. When he stepped in their house, Jessica was already on his case.

"I hate you!" Jessica yelled at him.

"Here we go again." Kimberley just rolled her eyes and went to find Theresa in the kitchen.

"Why do you hate me this time?" Sky asked her casually. "I swear it was your baby brother that stole your teddy bear this time."

"No." Jessica shook her head. "I really hate you this time. How could you leave me my first year of high school?"

"I'm sorry." Sky frowned. He immediately knew what she was talking about. Her mother probably told her. He sat on the couch and took her light brown hand. "I promise I'll come visit. You also have my number."

"It won't be the same."

"Maybe…but besides, you're going to have so much fun in high school, you won't need me. You're going to get some boyfriend from the football team and forget all about me."

"Yeah, right." Jessica laughed. She gave Sky a hug. "I'm going to miss you."

"I'm going to miss you too." Sky returned the hug. "I'm going to miss you so much."

_A little OOC for Sky, huh? I never pictured him being a pain in the ass until Jack showed up :P_


	4. A Repaired Friendship

**June 11, 2014**

Elizabeth Delgado walked out to retrieve her mail when she noticed a moving truck across the street. A young man about her age with dreads caught her gaze. They exchanged waves but before anyone could speak, a woman asked him to come inside and help her with a heavy box. Elizabeth got the mail and looked to see if any of them had her name on it. Apparently one did. It's from her cousin, Valerie. She sat on her porch and ripped the envelope open and read;

_Dear Z,_

_Hey! Hey! Okay, first of all you're probably wondering why I didn't send you an e-mail…my laptop broke…and my phone. How are things in NewTech? Malibu is awesome! And so is college! I'm making so many friends and my roommate rocks. Her name is Janelle. She's from England but her family is Italian. Isn't that cool? It's like a sleep over with her every day. I got an internship so it might be a while until I get some vacation time. It's a bummer you're not here and I'm always so busy with work. I miss you so much! Tell my parents, Auntie Melanie, and Uncle Anthony I said Hi and I miss them very much._

_Love you more than Skittles,_

_V_

"_I love you more than M&Ms" _Z thought.

"Hola, mi hija!"

Z looked behind her and could see her father, Anthony, had just walked out. He was grinning like he just won lottery. He didn't go to work that morning but that couldn't be too exciting. Z chuckled and handed him his mail.

"Stop smiling like that, dad." Z said. "It's all bills we don't have the money for."

"Oh, that's alright today." Anthony quickly read through the mail addresses and tossed them inside his house before closing the door. He rested a hand on his daughter's hair, which she dyed a reddish-brown. "Have you met your new neighbors yet?"

"No, I just woke up." Z told him, gesturing to her yellow pajama pants. "Why? We don't even know our neighbors next to us and we've lived here since I was born."

"Because you're going to love these neighbors." Anthony patted her back, indicating for her to follow him across the street. "Your mother is already over there."

"Is it more family?"

"No, not this time. Although, I think it would be great if your Aunt Wanda lived here." Anthony pulled Z all the way up to the driveway with him and stopped. "It's Brandon…Brandon Landors, my old roommate and teammate from SPD. This is pure coincidence we're seeing each other again but I couldn't be anymore happier. It's been twenty years since I've seen him, mi hija."

"_So, the guy I just saw was Jack."_ Z thought.

Z knew a few things about her father's time as a green ranger. How could she not? Anthony was always walking around with bad knees he got during his last mission in SPD. Unfortunately, she didn't remember anything. She was just three when her father lost touch with his teammates. She did love hearing the stories though. When she was younger, Anthony would tell her about all of his fun adventures as a ranger. Her mother, Melanie, also had some stories because she hung out at SPD very frequently. Z felt herself getting jumpy. It was like she was about to meet an actor that played her favorite character in a book.

"Then, what are we waiting for?" Now Z was pulling her dad towards the house.

"Ah, mi hija, you know I'm not as young as I used to be." Anthony wrapped one arm around his daughter and opened the door for her. Since Brandon's family was still moving furniture in, the house door was unlocked.

When they stepped in, Z could already hear someone saying, "There she is! Come on in, Sleeping Beauty!"

Z looked down an empty hall to find the source of the voice. It was Brandon. He was carrying a box that was full of photos. Z figured he was bringing them upstairs to one of the bedrooms. Her dad went to go help him. She turned her head back around and saw her mom speaking to an average sized woman in a maxi dress. It was Brandon's wife and Jack's mother, Syeshia. The woman had an afro with a big yellow clip in it and her face was spotless. In Z's opinion, Syeshia was gorgeous. She hoped she looked like her when she becomes her age.

"You must be Elizabeth." Syeshia spoke with a thick Caribbean accent. Z remembered her dad telling her Brandon was from Trinidad and Tobago. He and Anthony were the only foreigners on the team. It was no secret SPD Earth was a diverse place.

"She doesn't go by that name anymore, Sy." Melanie laughed. "It's Z."

"Ah, interesting." Syeshia placed a hand on Z's arm. "My, you are so beautiful. When you were a baby, you were chubby like your mom. Now, you look just like your dad. How old are you now? I haven't seen you since you were three. Do you even remember me?"

"Sorry, I don't." Z smiled awkward at all of the questions that just got thrown at her. "I'm seventeen. I'll be eighteen in September."

"That's right, I can't remember a thing. It's probably a good thing you don't remember me either. I was a mess."

Syeshia and Melanie broke out laughing, making Z believe she was missing an inside joke. She kept on smiling awkwardly. She wished she could change out of her night wear to at least take some of the spotlight off of her. That wasn't going to happen soon though. To her dismay, Jack walked in drinking from a Pepsi can. Now that Z was getting a closer look at him, she could tell he was tired. But he still had on a decent smile.

"Jack, did you meet Z yet?" Syeshia asked her son. "I know you were outside a couple minutes ago."

"Of course." Jack said. He took a big gulp of his soda. "You're mailbox girl."

Z giggled. "Wow, I already have a nickname? I feel honored."

Melanie and Syeshia exchanged joyful glances. They were really reunited. This was going to be fun.

_Yup...they aren't homeless in this story. You like? I would love to read what you guys think about this story in the reviews :)_


	5. Introducing Queen Charlie

**June 12, 2023**

Two days later at SPD, it was busy! Everyone, especially cadets, were running around trying to get everything ready for the incoming cadet orientation. It was tomorrow and nothing was ready. For about five years now, SPD Earth was last minute with everything. Their dramatic employment decrease took a big toll on them and they still had trouble putting things back together. Civilians were just scared to join because of the death of Nathan Tate. At least that's what SPD cadets thought it was. He was the only man to ever die on duty. Maybe they were scared of Troobians attacking? That was another possibility.

There was one person at SPD that didn't make those rumors bother her – Charlie Santiago Perez. She was appointed A-Squad red ranger two years ago. No one saw her accomplishment coming. But knowing what the other four A-Squad rangers were like, it wasn't surprising. She was the only one fit for the job. She could easily take Commander Cruger's job if she wanted to. The only thing stopping her was the fact that he owned the place and Supreme Commander Fowler would never let a small human like her take over.

Charlie strolled through the SPD lobby, easily slipping through the messes on the ground. She walked up to the front desk where she found the secretary, Annalita Monaro. Charlie quickly became friends with her before her teammates. Something about both of their personalities just clicked.

"Hey, sweet cheeks!" Annalita greeted her. Annalita had jet black hair that reached the middle of her back. She also had thick framed glasses that covered her green eyes. And as usual, she had her feet up on her desk and she was drinking an alcoholic drink.

"How much more drinks until Cruger fires your ass?" Charlie asked the older woman.

"Cruger can't fire me; nobody wants my boring job." Annalita laughed. "What do you want now, anyways? Where are the other Internationals?"

Charlie returned the laugh upon hearing her Squad's nickname. Annalita and various other people called A-Squad the Internationals because none of them were from the same country. Charlie was from Spain while the pink ranger was Japanese, the yellow ranger was Scottish, and the green ranger was the only American. The blue ranger was one of the few Sirians living on Earth. He was born in Canada. His family moved to Earth before Sirius was destroyed by the Troobians.

"I don't know." Charlie answered with confidence. "Training or cleaning our quarters. I haven't seen any of them since morning. Cruger had me running around here all day doing paper work he could be doing himself."

"Don't act so bitter. You know Cruger has been depressed lately. He needs all the help he can get. Plus, there's a rumor Dr. Katherine Manx might be coming back. Do you think it's true?"

"Maybe." The brunette shrugged. "She's worked here before, right? I heard she was really close to Dr. Felix and Cruger."

"Don't remind me. They won't even make me have her room in the Master Suites' quarters. What are they even saving it for?"

Before Charlie could reply, Dr. Terrance Felix came in with stack of folders. He dropped the load on Annalita's desk and gave her a disapproving look.

"How much more drinks until Cruger fires you?" Terrance shook his head.

Charlie smirked. "I tried to tell her, doctor. You know how hard-headed bitches are these days."

"You're not doing any better." Terrance pointed to Charlie's attire. "Didn't Cruger say you should be in full uniform today?"

"He doesn't care." Charlie said while pulling down her red SPD sweater. All she had underneath it was a tight black shirt. She was also wearing black yoga pants and flip-flops. "You never see him these days."

"Both of you ladies need to stop taking advantage of your Commander. You know he's been feeling ill the last couple of months."

"That is true." Annalita nodded a little. She crosses paths with Cruger every morning because their rooms were close in the Master Suites' quarters. Cruger didn't have much facial expressions but he did seem rather depressed. He can't get a good control on anything until Charlie intervenes.

"Yes, well, hopefully the new cadets coming in don't disappoint." Terrance pointed to the stack of folders he brought in. "I'm really impressed with their medical records. About forty percent of becoming a ranger is a good medical record."

Annalita looked at Charlie. "Girl, you better watch out. Somebody might be out to take your throne from you soon."

"That will never happen." Charlie rolled her eyes. "I'm working here even after I had kids."

"I don't know about that." Terrance shook his head. "The first ranger team left because they all had kids and couldn't handle juggling them while on duty."

"I thought they left because Nathan died…"

"That too." Terrance frowned, instantly remembering that horrible day. "He was such a cool guy. His son is one of the new cadets joining us tomorrow. When I read over his medical records, I couldn't help but notice how much bones he has injured. It made me laugh. 'Like Father, Like Son'."

"Aww, I'm excited to meet his son now!" Annalita slightly jumped in her seat. "I hope he's hot like Nathan!"

"You're married, sicko." Charlie made a disgusted face. "Schuyler Tate is like six years younger than you."

"He doesn't have to know. I stopped keeping track of my age when I turned twenty-one."

"Drinking age?" Terrance asked.

"Hell yeah!"

Terrance shook his head. He knew what her answer was going to be but he asked anyways just to hear her say it. He looked to Charlie. "Anyways, I didn't come here just to chat. You should've gotten your physical two hours ago."

Charlie groaned. She told Annalita goodbye and walked into the elevator with Terrance. It was pretty embarrassing that he had to hunt her down just to check some of her vitals. When they both got into the elevator, Charlie's mood changed.

"I visited my family over the weekend." Charlie said, staring out the glass window on the elevator. They were going to be on the elevator for a while so she might as well break the ice.

"Oh, yeah?" The doctor smiled. "How was it?"

Charlie shrugged. "I stayed in my room the whole time. Sometimes I played with my baby sister. Nothing special."

"And your father?"

"He wasn't home all weekend."

Terrance sighed. "That's…that's alright."

"I miss him…the way things used to be."

"I know, honey." Terrance gave Charlie's shoulder a squeeze. "I wish I could help more but you just got to hang in there. Things will be resolved quicker than you think and everything will be back to normal."

_Thanks for reading! You like? I could've updated right after posting chapter 4 but I told myself I couldn't until I updated my other story :P Hope the wait wasn't too long._


	6. Surprising Reunions Part I

**June 13, 2023**

Back in Beverly Hills, Kat was quietly throwing clothes and other belongings into her multiple suitcases scattered around her room. She wasn't bringing everything but she did have a bad habit of over packing. She was so consumed in what she was doing, she didn't notice Vivianna leaning on her opened door.

"So, you're really leaving?" Vivianna asked.

Kat looked at her granddaughter. "I thought you were spending the day with your dad's family."

"And not give you a proper bye?" Vivianna frowned. She walked into Kat's room and sat on her bed.

"I'm not going away forever. I'll be back for my birthday and Thanksgiving before any of you guys miss me. And to make up for lost time, I will stay until the New Year. Sounds fair enough? Besides, you're leaving me next year to go to college."

"No, I'm not." Vivianna shook her head. "I'm not freakishly smart like you or have the voice of an angel like Katrina Manx. I'm probably going to end up going to community college with the average people."

"As long as you do something after high school that won't make the press gossip their pants off about us, I'm fine."

"Aren't they going to talk about you now? I mean, no one leaked anything about you rejoining SPD but you do wave your Reachway flag pretty high when traveling." Vivianna said, pointing to a Katastrophian flag hanging on Kat's bathroom door.

Kat sighed, understanding Vivianna's reference. She was very easy to spot and she had no bodyguards. She didn't need bodyguards. She's just a scientist and most recently, reality star, whose late mom just so happened to be an excellent singer. Her father was a scientist but no one cared about him apparently. Even after so much years on Earth, celebrity gossip still confuses her. And unfortunately, she's in the middle of it.

"You're right." Kat let out a deep, distressed exhale. She stared at the lab coat in her hands. "What am I doing? Maybe this is a bad idea. I should call my ride and cancel…"

Before Kat could pick up her phone, it disappeared. Where the phone once lay, there was sparkles left behind, which could only mean one thing. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her granddaughter, who was holding onto her phone. Vivianna smiled innocently.

"I hate it when you do that." Kat muttered. "Do you want me to go to SPD or not?"

"Go to SPD, grandma." Vivianna answered. This time she sounded genuine. "I was just saying…you're going to make social media blow up. Bridge from Project Protégés already did it."

"You Earthling teenagers these days, I swear…" Kat rolled her eyes. "Can I have back my phone, please?"

"Yeah, sure." Vivianna held up the phone and once again, it disappeared. Not in Kat's hands, though, where it should be. It reappeared on her makeup vanity. The humanoid never made a big deal out of it. She walked over to pick it up… just so it could disappear again.

"Vivianna Rosa-Lee Moore!" Kat shouted at the younger girl.

Vivianna smirked. "Yes, grandma?"

Kat didn't find her game of magical hide and seek very amusing. She jumped on her bed, pinned down Vivianna with her legs, and tackled her with tickles.

"Give me back my phone!"

"Only…when…you…stop…being…a…grump!" Vivianna said in between breaths from laughing too hard.

Kat continued to tickle Vivianna as her phone jumped all over her bedroom. She was due for a break from packing her bags anyways. But, in the back of her mind, Kat started to feel regretful. She thought she wouldn't have any. She left her three daughters to take of themselves so she could be at SPD for crying out loud. Now, with more family, that wasn't the case. Kat has grown into a family woman in the past seventeen years. Leaving was going to be hard.

* * *

"I'm so excited!" The A-squad pink ranger, Ashley, said with glee.

Charlie looked up from her tablet, smiled at her teammate, and then went back to her work on her tablet. Everyone in A-Squad was lounging around one of SPD's many multipurpose rooms, waiting for the head officers and new cadets to arrive. Charlie was sitting in one of the many chairs aligned up and down the room, facing a small stage with a podium and a projector screen next to it. To lighten the dull room, Ashley insisted they put up a "Welcome to SPD" banner. People called her the cheerleader of SPD because unlike most people, she never gave up on SPD.

"What do you think they'll be like?" Ashley asked. "The new cadets, I mean…"

"They are just going to be annoying noobs like we once were." Charlie shrugged, never taking her eyes off her tablet.

"Hopefully less annoying than you two." A loud voice said from behind them.

The young women looked back to see Commander Doggie Cruger behind them. They, along with the rest of A-Squad, stood to attention. Doggie walked pass them with SPD's head officers such as doctors, trainers, and even people like Annalita and Boom. When Annalita passed Charlie, she stuck out her tongue at her. Charlie simply rolled her eyes. Sometimes Annalita, the secretary, had more power over her. Doggie never cared to explain why though.

"At ease." Doggie said swiftly. He walked up to the podium and looked around the room. "No one has arrived yet?"

"No, sir." A-Squad all mumbled at once.

"Wow, you guys are the talk of the party!" One of the trainers, Shreya, mocked the squad. She was dressed in a white sweat suit with SPD written in black down one of the legs. "I can't wait for people to start walking in. I finally get to get rid of you guys."

"You wish!" Jeff, the green ranger laughed. "All you're getting are new cadets to train until they cry."

Like Jeff said the magic words, Sky Tate walked in with Dru and his mom. Everyone looked at them either confused or shocked. Dr. Felix was the first person to greet them. When Nathan still worked at SPD, Kimberley was just a nursing student. She would visit SPD to of course, see her boyfriend, then she visited Terrance's office to ask him to help her study. They kept a teacher and student relationship in return.

"Kim?" Terrance gave Kimberley a warm smile and walked over to give her a hug. "It's been ages! How are you doing?"

Kimberley returned the warm welcome. "You still work here?"

"Of course, I do. You know I hate hospitals." Terrance told her before quickly apologizing when he noticed her scrubs. "No offense…"

Kimberley rolled her eyes and gestured to her son. "Here's the star. Little Sky is all grown up and leaving me. He's all yours now."

"I'm not leaving forever, mom." Sky told his mother. He shook hands with Terrance. "Nice to meet you, sir."

"Ah, manners." Terrance laughed. He looked at Charlie. "We need those here."

"Stop talking about me, Felix." Charlie said, walking by them. She latched her small tablet onto her uniform belt and shook hands with Sky and Dru. "Going for B-Squad Red, boys?"

"Yes, ma'am." Sky and Dru chorused. Both of them were equally surprised to see red stripes on the woman's uniform. None of them knew the red ranger was female but they never questioned it.

"Good luck beating my scores." Charlie smirked. She whipped her head around and made her way back to her squad.

"Don't make her intimidate you." Terrance told the boys. "She's like that to everyone. Just leave her to me. Did you find your quarters already? B-Wing, is it?"

Sky and Dru nodded. Before making their way to the multipurpose room for orientation, all incoming cadets were expected to drop off their personal belongings in their respective rooms. Luckily for Sky and Dru, they didn't need to check a map on base to find their rooms because Kimberley remembered the base like the back of her hand. Sky's room was right across the room that used to be Nathan's and Dru's room was next to Melody and Staci's old room. If Kimberley told someone that, they'd probably think she's weird. Sky was already really embarrassed by her following him to SPD.

Terrance looked at Kimberley closely. She had tears welling up her eyes. He has no idea what she and her son have been up to for the past couple years. But, it was no secret it must be really hard for her to watch her son work at the exact same place that caused her husband to die. Terrance gave her hand a squeeze.

"It's time to let go, Kim." Terrance encouraged her.

Kimberley sighed. She wiped her tears and hugged her son tightly. "Please be good. I want you in one piece for Thanksgiving. Got it?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine, mom." Sky returned the hug. "I'll make you proud."

"You better." Kimberley gave him one last look before walking into the hallway. She nearly bumped into the commander when she started to dry her tears again. She wondered how long he has been in the hall. She saw him watching her from the podium in the multipurpose room. She figured he slipped by when she was speaking to Dr. Felix.

Commander Cruger held a small pendent in front of her. "This was Nathan's first badge. I've been holding onto it for some time…I think you would like to have it instead."

"Thanks, Commander." Kimberley smiled, gladly taking the badge. She felt more tears streaming down her face, only this time, they were happy tears.

Before either of them had time to say more, they heard a noisy trio walking down the hall. There was two teenagers, a brunette boy and a blonde girl. Next to them was a short woman who was also a brunette. Kimberley instantly recognized her.

"Melody!" Kimberley called her. The two women ran into each other's arms.

"Kimmy!" Melody embraced her. "What the hell? You almost gave me a heart attack! You look so different! Different in a good way! Not a bad way! Like, more mature! How is life?"

Kimberley was so taken aback by Melody's ranting, she didn't reply or even stop her. Melody stopped hugging her and looked at Doggie. Commander Cruger shook his head at his former yellow ranger. Melody ignored him and gave him a quick hug.

"Hey, commander!" Melody smirked. "Did you miss me?"

"Of course not. I was so glad when I got rid of you." Doggie bluntly said. His voice was a little playful, though. When Melody worked for him, she was a lot of trouble. But she still ended up being one of Doggie's favorites.

"Actually, I got pregnant and quit. You know, minor details." Melody winked at Kimberley. She pointed to the two teens that were behind her. "Meet Bridge and Sydney. Guys, meet Kimberley. And Bridge, meet your commander."

"Aw, you guys have grown so much." Kimberley said to them. "Looks like your parents did something right after all."

Melody glared at her. "You're not the only one good at raising kids."

"You said you hated kids."

"Back then…shh!" Melody hushed her friend. She gestured to her name tag. "After having Bridge, I realized how good I was with kids. I work at a daycare now."

"That's good." Kimberley nodded. "We can catch up later at my house. Drinks on me. Where's Staci, anyways?"

"At home doing whatever housewives do." Melody casually said. "Sydney's with me because she's trying to avoid her and Michael. Can you believe she's pregnant?"

"Well, this is awkward." Bridge whispered to Sydney while stuffing his gloved hands into his pockets.

"Says you." Sydney rolled her eyes. Melody was a blabber mouth. But as long as she was the one to tell her parents about her pregnancy first, she didn't care who she told. Everyone knowing her business was a regular for her.

"I better go now." Bridged gave Sydney's shoulder a squeeze. He saw the Commander walking away from the rambling women and there were more people coming down the hallway for the orientation. He didn't want to be late on his first day at the academy. Sydney nodded, letting Bridge go.

_Hey guys! Sorry it took a while to update. I didn't have the "no ideas writer's block" but I had the "I have no idea how to write this writer's block". You feel me? Lol, I'm honestly not a big fan of this chapter. Is it confusing? I mean…Kat's story is. I purposely did that. Please review and tell me what you think of this so far :)_


	7. Surprising Reunions Part II

"I can't do this." Kat stared at the giant SPD logo in front of the tall building before her. Despite not being in NewTech City for ages, Space Patrol Delta still managed to look the same. Behind her, her driver was still sitting in his black Escalade, patiently waiting on Kat's instructions.

"Um, Doctor Manx…?" The driver called out to the woman. Kat turned her body slightly, showing him she was listening. "Where do I park?"

"You're fine right where you are." Kat told him. "At least for now. If I'm not back in fifteen minutes, wait longer." Kat smirked. She began to walk off but stopped. She looked back at her driver sheepishly, striking lazy pose. "How do I look?"

The driver grinned. Kat wasn't wearing anything too crazy. She just had on a white and navy blue striped tank top with a matching blazer, light blue jeans, and heels. Her hair was in its usual messy curls and she had white sunglasses on her head.

"You look ravishing, Doctor." The driver assured Kat.

The scientist thanked him. She began to walk off again, only this time she didn't look back. She knew today was orientation day so, she didn't expect much people when she walked in. The secretary's desk was empty. There was only three people in the lobby, all loaded with a gun. Kat didn't feel intimidated, especially when one of them started hyperventilated from shock at seeing her, causing the other two to pay attention to her rather than Kat.

"Where's Commander Cruger?" Kat asked one of the male guards.

"I…I don't know if you can…" He stuttered. He knew who she was and what she did for SPD but that didn't mean she could be trusted.

"Twenty-sixth floor!" The hyperventilating guard said. The other guards shot her a dirty look. She ignored them. "He's hosting an orientation right now."

"Thank you, darling." Kat replied. She looked at the other guards. "I'll let you guys off the hook this time."

The guards stared at Kat confused but she didn't see them. She confidentially strode into the elevator, knowing exactly where she was going. When she got off at her designated floor, there were more guards. She walked pass them, not even giving them a glance. The closer she got to the orientation, the fewer the guards. She could even hear Commander Cruger's voice by now in the hallway.

"Welcome to the Space Patrol Delta Academy Earth." Kat heard Doggie say from the room down the hall. "I am Commander Anubis 'Doggie' Cruger…I expect you to treat me with your utmost respect…I'm very glad to see how much of you guys are interested in the Ranger Program...Do not get too comfy with your current squads in these next two years…I am currently looking for just five rangers to make a B-Squad…"

"God, he's boring." Kat muttered under her breath. She slipped through the double doors and took a seat in a chair in the back of the room.

Doggie continued to ramble on, "Before I introduce you to A-Squad, are there any questions for me?"

Seeing no one else was raising their hand, Kat figured this was the perfect time to let Doggie know she was there. She raised her hand high. Doggie pointed to her.

"Yes, miss…in…the back." Doggie murmured upon noticing who he just called on. Everyone in the room turned their eyes to look at who Doggie was speaking to. Whispers started to fill the air. Doggie cleared his throat to get them to stop their chatter. "Um…what is your question, Dr. Manx?"

Kat smirked. "I was just wondering if the chief scientist position was taken yet."

* * *

About two hours and a half later, Sky and Dru were getting comfortable in their quarters after the long, drawn-out orientation. Sky had already helped Dru set up his room. He was a little jealous of his friend. He had requested he shared a room with Dru but he never got it. He found it suspicious at first because he knew there was only one other person on their squad at the moment. Now he knew who the other person was, he stopped questioning it. Knowing Bridge's mother served alongside his father, it was no surprise Doggie wanted to keep them close.

He walked into his room with Dru right on time to see Bridge changing his fingerless gloves into thicker, leather gloves with the fingers covered.

"What's with the gloves?" Sky asked. He took a sat on his bed and began to unpack one of his small bags.

"Hiding some disease?" Dru asked from the doorway.

"Dude!" Sky laughed at his friend's comment.

"What? Two years ago, Michael Drew claimed Bridge was sick and unable to attend shows. He never said what Bridge had. Now that we're teammates, I think we deserve to know."

"Doesn't matter." Bridge told them. He threw his other pair of gloves into a drawer he already had underwear in. "It's for me to take care of and for you guys to stay out of."

"Ouch, I'm hurt."

"Leave him alone, Dru." Sky said. He changed the subject. "So, what are you doing here instead of college? I heard you're kind of a genius."

"Really? Me? A genius?" Bridge smiled. "I'm not that smart…I'm just some confused boy that wants to stay away from the stage for a while. I guess I'm here for that change. I've always been interested in martial arts and using it for good. You?"

"To carry on my father's legacy."

"Oh." It was the only thing Bridge could say. He knew about Nathan Tate. His mother spoke a whole lot about him. Turns out, before Kimberley dated him, Melody was his girlfriend. It was a great, hilarious story that all of them knew. Seeing Sky now, and knowing their mothers (that are also best friends) dated the same guy, it was a little awkward.

Dru noticed the tension and clapped his hands. "So, who's up for some pizza?"

* * *

In the master suites, all types of questions were being thrown at Kat from Annalita, Terrance, and Doggie. Kat shook her head at all the rambling. She knew her entrance would raise a lot of questions but she wasn't in the mood for answering. She just wanted to enjoy the moment.

"Enough chatting." She stepped into the kitchenette with a bottle of very expensive champagne. She found some glasses in a cupboard behind her. She rolled her eyes, seeing the fine glasses were in the same place like she never left. "Would anybody like some champagne?"

"Now, you're speaking my language!" Annalita raced from the couch she was laying on to the kitchen island. "By the way, girl, you came in so slick at the orientation! I was like 'oh shit'! And everyone else was like 'oh shit'! And I was like 'no way'! Wait…I can call you 'girl', right? I don't mean any disrespect. You cool, girl! I mean…Katherine?"

"You may call me anything you like…Annalita?" Kat passed her a glass of champagne.

Annalita squealed, gladly taking the drink. "Dr. Katherine Manx knows my name!"

"Well, I did get introduced to a whole lot of new faces at the orientation." Kat said. She poured another glass and handed it to Terrance. "You could've at least gotten a haircut while I was gone. Just because cats on this planet have a lot of hair, doesn't mean you need to."

"I'm just happy you didn't end up in rehab like you said you would before you left." Terrance chuckled.

"I almost did." Kat admitted. "Then, I felt bad for my future nurse because I knew she wouldn't be as good as you."

"But you did end up on reality television." Doggie pointed out. "You said you would have a reality show too."

"Yeah." Kat sighed. "I needed some excitement in my life. I was getting bored."

"You won't be saying that as long as you're here."

"Especially with Charlie." Annalita laughed.

"Speaking of Charlie, what is her deal anyways?" Kat asked. She offered a drink to Doggie but he declined and she drank it herself. "She's…I don't even know."

"We don't know either. You get used to her though. She's my best friend here."

Kat nodded and looked back at Doggie. "Are you sure you don't want any champagne?"

"He can't have any while he's on medication." Terrance answered for Doggie.

Kat frowned, now noticing the pill bottles next to the commander on the counter. From where she stood, she could easily read the names of the drugs. She put down her drink.

"You're depressed?" Kat asked him with concern. Doggie nodded. Kat placed a supporting hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry. Kat's back and she's going to put SPD right on track."

"Thank you, Kat." Doggie smiled slightly. "I really missed you."

"I missed you too." Kat rubbed his shoulder. "I missed everyone and this crazy place."

_Yeah…I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Please review. I don't bite :)_


	8. Mamma Mia!

Sydney fiddled with her fingers nervously at the dinner table. She really didn't want to do this but she had no choice now. Justin had already told his father. Despite him not talking to Justin for a long while now, he took it rather well. At least that's what Justin told Sydney. He also said his father would love to speak to the Drew's sometime over the weekend to discuss their teenagers'…actions. So, whether Sydney liked it or not, she had news to tell her parents.

She cleared her throat, catching her parents' attention. "Um...I have something to tell you guys."

"What's wrong, princess?" Michael asked his daughter worriedly. He could almost feel the anxiety radiating off her.

"I…" Sydney's mouth quivered. She froze in her seat, unable to get the words out. She spent the whole day away from her house, trying to find a way to tell her loving parents what's going on. "I…"

"Do you need a moment to yourself, sweetheart?" Staci asked. She placed a warm hand on her daughter's shoulders. "Take your time. What's wrong? You know you can tell us anything."

Sydney shook her head with tears streaming from it. "You guys are going to be so disappointed in me. I promise I wasn't trying to…I didn't want to…I'm so dumb...I messed up my entire career."

Michael and Staci exchanged terrified looks. They had no idea what their daughter was talking about.

"Princess?" Michael frowned from across the table. He has never seen Sydney in this state before. She was beginning to shake. The last time she was upset at all was when a spider was found in her bedroom.

"I'm pregnant." Sydney said in a whisper. Immediately, she felt her mother take her hand off her shoulder. She mentally prepared herself for a good screaming party.

"Pregnant!" Staci managed to breathe out. She put her hand on her heart in distress. "Sydney, please tell me you're joking. You're only seventeen! You can't be! We raised you better than this. Please tell me…"

"I'm pregnant." Sydney said a little louder this time. She almost jumped out of her skin when she heard a heavy slam on the table. It was her father's fist. He was standing now. She felt a chill roll down her spine.

"What bastard got you pregnant?" Michael said like it was poison. Sydney didn't reply. "Open your damn mouth and speak, Sydney Alycia!"

"Ju...Justin."

"Justin? My protégé? Michael's expression softened. He's known Justin for years now. He was very talented, perhaps the most talented next to Sydney. He's helped his music company grow in remarkable ways. He would treat Justin like his own son. Though, despite those reasons, he did have a hard time with allowing him to date his only daughter. Obviously, he accepted it at one point but after what Sydney just told him, he wasn't so sure he trusted him anymore.

"Who else, dad?" Sydney sobbed. "I'm not a whore."

"Well, that baby in your stomach says otherwise!"

"Michael!" Staci rushed out. She glared daggers at her husband. "Don't you dare call _my_ daughter a whore!"

"Why are you denying it, huh?" Michael yelled back at his wife. "_Our_ daughter is seventeen and having freaking sex!"

"So? She did it with her boyfriend. That doesn't make her a whore!"

"Teenagers shouldn't be doing that stuff! Do you even hear yourself? Don't tell me you're taking her side."

"I'm not, Michael!" Staci said in between clenched teeth. She grabbed her head in her hands. "I can hear you quite fine! Stop the yelling! All I'm saying is we can't just dive into this situation like this! I know it's hard right now but we need to think more clearly."

"Think clearly? Staci, Justin got her pregnant! A vampire! There's basically a demon growing inside Sydney's stomach as we speak. I knew we shouldn't have let them date in the first place. Are you not worried?"

"Of course, I am!" Staci screamed.

Sydney slid out of her chair and left the dining room. She couldn't take it anymore. Her own dad calling her a whore and calling her baby a demon were the final straws. She wanted to yell back at her dad and tell him demons were completely different from vampires. She thought her dad wasn't prejudice but it looks like she was wrong. She had heard once, in bad situations, people's true colors showed. It made her sick. Hopefully it was just the heat of the moment that caused Michael to say that. Justin would never betray her. He was one of the few people she trusted. If he said he was going to take care of her and the baby, he meant it. Or so she hoped.

She walked out onto the porch, curled into a ball, and cried. She was angry and confused and just wanted nothing to do with reality. Sydney stayed in that position for a good ten minutes until she heard her mom walk up behind her. Staci sat down and immediately, Sydney rested her head on her shoulder. Staci kissed the top of your head.

"I'm sorry, baby girl." Staci whispered. "I'm so sorry. Your father and I shouldn't have reacted like that. Drama is the last thing you need right now."

"He called my baby a demon." Sydney sobbed.

"He doesn't mean it. The baby could be human for all we know."

Sydney looked up at her mom. "You can be mad too. I deserve it."

"No, you don't."

"I just don't know what to do, mom. I'm so confused and don't know what to think right now."

"Then, I'll do the thinking for you." Staci gave her daughter a little smile. "I already know a great adoption agency…"

"WHAT?" Sydney pulled away from her mom in horror. "No! This is _my_ baby! No one, not even the president, is taking this baby away from me!"

"Okay…" Staci sighed heavily. "Okay...so, we're keeping the baby?"

Staci glanced at Sydney, who in return nodded, making her know she was serious about her decision. Staci frowned deeply. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, very sure."

"Well, we can check that one off our list then." Staci held Sydney tightly in her arms. Her pregnancy with Sydney wasn't planned either but she was much older, had a stable job at SPD at the time, and engaged to Michael so she didn't have too much to worry about except preparing for Sydney's arrival. Sydney's case is different. She's only been official with Justin for a year. She's still in school. And not to mention, the publicity and gossip she's going to get for this is going to be crazy. Now, _Staci_ didn't know what to do. All she could think of was passing on her parenting wisdom mother to daughter and eventually, mother to mother. She is determined to helping her daughter go through this no matter what.

_Yes, the updates are slower now. I wrote the first five chapters in like…two days(?). So, they were ready to publish whenever opposed to the new chapters like this one. Actually…fun fact: the first chapter was written last year but I had no confidence to post it. Lol. Thanks for reading. Please review! I'd love to know what you think of this so far :)_


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